Cousins and Tea
by tir-synni
Summary: Staring at the cup in front of him, it occurred to Vincent Valentine—not for the first time—that Cid Highwind was the only person he knew who would go halfway around the world for a cup of tea.


Title: Cousins and Tea  
Pairing: Cid/Vincent  
Warnings: I don't think any beyond Cid's mouth. Oh, yeah. Slight crossover with Fullmetal Alchemist (manga). See if you can spot it.  
Rating: PG

Cousins and Tea

"Ah! This is _real_ tea!"

Staring at the cup in front of him, it occurred to Vincent Valentine—not for the first time—that Cid Highwind was the only person he knew who would go halfway around the world for a cup of tea.

"Well!" Cid coaxed, plopping down in the seat across from him. "Drink up! That's the good shit."

Of course, Vincent admitted to himself, _he_ was the one who had willingly followed the man halfway around the world. He didn't want to think about what that made him.

Looking at Cid's beaming face, cigarette still hanging from his mouth even with his tea in his hands, Vincent knew he already knew the answer.

Vincent silently raised the delicate cup to his lips and sipped. Cid guffawed and raised his own cup. Not only did the man _not_ lose his cigarette, he actually _sipped_ at the tea, not the slightest hint of a slurp reaching Vincent's ears. Like every time before, Vincent could only watch, fascinated.

It was little idiosyncrasies like that that convinced Vincent to follow Cid to Wutai.

Stoic Cloud, silent Cloud, cool Cloud, had actually laughed himself off of a stool when he had discovered that. Only the fact that Tifa had then laughed at Cloud made Vincent feel any better.

Sipping his tea again, Vincent subtly watched the other man through his lashes. The look on Cid's face was literally orgasmic—he should know—and Vincent decided that while the tea was good, it wasn't _that_ good.

He was just deciding to show Cid the difference later when he sensed an unfamiliar figure striding up to their table. When the dark-haired man plopped beside Cid, Vincent already had his hand resting on Death Penalty.

It took Cid a moment to finish his tea and thus notice the man's presence. "Who the fuck are you?" he snapped. Vincent mentally echoed the sentiment, though he noted there was something eerily familiar about the man's grin.

"I am Ling, cousin of Princess Yuffie!" the man chirped. Vincent stared. Yes. The man had _chirped _that sentence. "She told me you might be here, and I had to come see the great heroes!"

Cid leaned away from the man—Ling—and stared wide-eyed at him. His cigarette dangled precariously at the corner of his mouth. "You're fuckin' kiddin' me," Cid said flatly.

With a charming smile, Ling leaned closer to the pilot, and Vincent moved his gun so, if necessary, he could shoot the man from under the table. Watching the stranger all but hover over his lover, he decided he could shoot him if it wasn't necessary, too.

"My cousin has told me many stories about your heroic deeds," Ling cooed. "It is an _honor_ to be in the presence of those who had saved the Planet!"

Ling's antics drew the gazes of the patrons all around them. Wutain etiquette prevented blatant staring, but it also forbade this straight-forward behavior. Of course, Vincent admitted, it might also have been Ling's robes. Royal and elegant, it was something expected of the royal family and something he could never even imagine Yuffie wearing. Although, he mentally added, staring at the man's voluminous sleeves, she could hide all the materia she wanted in there.

"You wanna go harass a hero, go harass Cloud," Cid retorted gruffly, clutching his tea like it was a precious jewel. At Vincent's stare, Cid huffed. "C'mon! That kid has to come out of his shell at some time!"

Twenty-five years old, Protector of the Planet as ordained by Gaia and the Cetra, and Cid called Cloud 'kid'.

And Cloud called him 'old fart'.

Vincent sighed and sipped his tea.

Glancing at Cid's wrist, Ling abruptly gasped and leapt up from the table. "I didn't realize it was that late! I still have duties!" He elegantly bowed—something else Vincent couldn't imagine Yuffie doing—first to Cid and then to Vincent. "If you will excuse me, gentlemen." He winked at them. "I hope we will meet again."

As Ling vanished as if he had never been, Cid stared blankly at his bare wrist. "I don't have a watch."

Vincent sighed again. "But you do have materia."

Listening to Cid scream and effectively grab the blatant attention of _everyone_, Vincent shook his head and hid behind his tea.

Yes. Ling was Yuffie's cousin, all right.


End file.
